


Rising Dawn

by Sapphire_One



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Confusion, Family Drama, Family Issues, Growing Up, Multi, Next Generation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Saving the World, Soul-Searching, Sparkbonding, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 06:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15528303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphire_One/pseuds/Sapphire_One
Summary: Dawn has always felt she never did enough with her life and felt alien in her own skin. She didn't exactly mean that literally though. When she finds out that she had been lied to all her life for protection from a war she had no knowledge about, she finds she is destined for things she couldn't begin to fathom. On top of the universe unraveling because of eons of family drama, she has her own personal issues. Fitting in with the family, figuring out how to function in her predetermined roll in her society, learning how to be a leader, trying to earn her distrusting and newfound family's trust? Piece of oil cake, right?





	1. Wanting

I remember their eyes. That’s the only memory I have of them. The only precious memory. Their eyes. It was too little but it meant so much. That stunning and rich blue color that seemed too good to be true. 

She was crying. I knew in an instant that I was looking at mother. 

I blinked slowly as I took in my surroundings of this strange new world. I heard a voice in the background. 

"Congratulations. It's a healthy little femmling….” A gentle but gruff voice said. I wailed feeling unbearable cold. I flailed my little limbs, fussing about. 

"We know. Please. Just, give us a moment." Another voice said. It was deep, and reassuring. I was suddenly handed over to someone else and wrapped in a blanket. That was better, now i was warmer. 

All I saw was his stunning blue eyes. Just like mommy's, only they were different in a way… his hands were big and warm. I reached my hand up to touch his face. I smiled, I think daddy is holding me. Another precious detail that I hold onto like a lifeline. He seemed to radiate safety. He seemed so big...

His eyes suddenly filled with tears. He nuzzled me with his forehead and whispered in my ear. 

"I don't know if you realize who I am. But I am your father, little one." I smiled and giggled. I knew it was daddy holding me! He smiled back at me. The tears in his eyes started to fall. 

"I-I want you know...that, even if it may not seem like it, I will always be there. I'll watch over you. I-I wish we could raise you. I really do. But you are far precious little one...I am truly sorry, that you will not know us. But we will be watching,” the man whispered. 

"We will always be there." Mommy said. I can see the tears streaking her face. 

I started getting sleepy. I tried to stay awake. I wanted to stay awake.

"No matter what happens...you will always be our daughter, and we will always love you. We will come for you...Dawn." Daddy says, rocking me slightly. 

I yawn, and my eyes drop shut. I drift off to sleep.

"No matter what happens...you will always be our daughter, and we will always love you. We will come for you...Dawn." 

I sit up in bed. I rub my eyes and look at the alarm clock by my bed. It's five thirty in the morning. I recall the strange dream I had. It felt so real. But I know that it wasn't. My parents never came for me. I spent years, wishing that they would. Hoping. I wished on every falling star. Wished on every birthday candle, and anything that I could. I was clinging to every last bit of hope, that one day, I would be able to leave that awful foster home with my parents. My biological parents.

One of the few memories of my parents is that they both had stunning blue eyes, and my father had a deep voice. But that's about it. As little as it is… it is precious.  
I do not know why I can’t seem to completely let it go. One can dream I suppose.

I sighed, getting out of bed to fix some breakfast. I live alone in a small apartment in Carson City, Nevada. It is quiet outside in the city, the haze of the morning made everything seem a little off. I liked it like this.

I'm only around five feet tall. I'm thin and pale. My hair is dark and wavy, ending just below my shoulders. My eyes are blue, a reason I speculate for the memory I managed to retain. I don’t really think it is a memory though. Something that simply makes sense.

It's a Saturday, my day off. I work at a small cafe called "The Midtown Cafe," as a waitress. It’s an average job.. Boring, but hey it’s better than starving.  
I want to do something worth my life. 

I pull out the dozen mini cupcakes I had bought the previous day. I look sarcastically at them. My birthday. 

Yay.

I stick the two candles in two of them, and call it good. I look at the number. 

20.

Today, I am twenty years old. 

Twenty years, I've been alive. Twenty years, I've wished for my parents to come for me. Twenty years I've wanted something more. I'm done wishing on my parents. They left me on a doorstep, and I know that I may not ever find them. They promised to come for me, and didn't, although… it could have just been my imagination. Wanting to believe. But on the other hand They leave a note, saying how much they love me, and how sorry they are. That is what confuses me. If they really loved me, why won't they say why the left me. If they're really sorry, then why not come tell me. I still get cards. They all end the same. 

'Just remember, no matter what happens, you will always be our daughter, and we will always love you. We will come for you, Dawn.'

I've gotten nineteen of them. Every year, I get one. 

I've left it alone, and kept all the cards, because it gave me hope that they really were coming. I don’t tell whoever is sending them, if they are my parents or not is a mystery. Usually there's some sort of present that comes with it. Sometimes, it's money, sometimes, it's a stuffed animal, and other times it’s jewelry or life advice. I don’t confront them, whoever sends the cards. Secretly it’s security, that someone does think about me on my birthday. 

I close my eyes. 

"I wish," I think for a moment, reflecting, and not really caring what I did wish for. " I wish for...an adventure." I whisper to the candles, and blow them out. 

I pick the candles out, and eat a cupcake. I stash the rest of them away in the fridge. I'll eat them later. 

I trash the wrapper on my way out of the kitchen, and put my shoes on. I take the stairs outside. I start to walk my usual morning route. 

I find myself reflecting yet again. All the things I must have missed out on in my childhood. But then again, you can miss what you didn’t have, right? I just… saddened because I missed out. I just happened to born at the wrong time and maybe my parents simply couldn’t take care of me? 

I look around suddenly realizing that I had strayed off from my path. No matter, my boss had given me the day off. I could take my time finding my way back. I didn’t bother to stop daydreaming.

Suddenly, a horn blares in my ears. I feel pain as I go airborne. I feel my face connect with the hard asphalt. 

Everything hurts. My ears are ringing, and I can taste blood. I think I broke a few ribs. My arm hurts like hell, and I feel light headed. 

I force my eyes open to get a good look at what hit me. 

I see the end of yellow custom Camaro, and beside it, two Lamborghini's. One red and one yellow. I see my blood all over the Camaro's hood, I raised a shaky hand to my stinging head and pull it away to see it covered in blood. I squint at the windshield to try and see a driver but my eyesight is going fuzzy. My mind went blank and I felt myself slump to the asphalt before everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to paint Dawn's life as just a surreal experience to her, like it didn't seem real. I decided to project this around her birthday because it just seemed like a really bitter time of year for her. It was a reminder that she was given up to a foster home. It was a reminder that there was a possibility that her parents didn't want her. 
> 
> As for the cards she was just kind of accepting them and not really going to ever try to stop them, because it felt like to her like there was someone out there who cared. 
> 
> Her meeting with Bumblebee and the Twins, I wanted it to feel as if it was by chance and that she didn't have a say in the matter. I kinda wanted to project how distracted she really is. 
> 
> I'm glad you read I hope you continue to read!!


	2. Fixed

I raced down the road, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe on my tail. We had snuck out of base late last night. We often did to go racing. Even if Ratchet would personally hand us our afts on a silver platter with a side of candied lugnuts if we got scuffed up, and I grinned opening a comm. link.

::Even after half a millennium, I'm still faster than you two!:: I laughed. 

::Oh quit laughin' Bee, we were in the brig for like a year! We're out of practice!:: Sideswipe chimed over the comm, laughter in his voice.

I roll my optics mentally. We turn onto a highway that will take us back to base

"Sunny, you were in there for three days. Not a year." I sigh over the line. He always was over dramatic. About everything. His finish. His punishments. His paint job. His finish...

::Well, it felt like a year! We didn't even do anything bad!:: Sideswipe whined. 

::”I’m pretty sure that Ratchet doesn’t like it when you mess up his medbay like that, I mean he was pretty stressed out.. And Jazz didn’t bail you out because you messed with his CD collection. What did they charge you with anyway?::

::He said something about breaking an entry into a superior officer's quarters and vandalism.:: Suntreaker replied. ::Even if I did have anything to do with it,:: he huffed indignified.

We were silent for a moment as the conversation lulled before I called out, ::race you to the next mile marker! Three, two, one, go!:: I sped forward leaving Sideswipe and Sunstreaker in the dust.

They screamed in protest about how that was cheating, but all the same sped after me.

::No fair Bee!:: Sideswipe whined over the still open comm. link. 

::Yeah, you started early you cheater!:: Sunny added to his brother's complaint. 

I swiveled around on my rear wheels, flipping around to face the two Lamborghini s that were struggling to catch up. 

::Come and get me!:: I taunted at them fishtailing slightly.

::BEE! TURN AROUND! WATCH OUT!:: They screamed slamming on their brakes.

I turned around, but I saw her too late. I blared my horn and slammed my brakes down. 

I felt something hit me, as a screeched to a stop. I vaguely felt something wet splatter across my hood.

Somehow, I knew that that 'something wet' was blood. 

I heard the twins stop just behind me, but I didn't look back at them. All I could see was her limp body in the middle of the road. 

'Oh Primus. Please move, please be okay, please, please move.' Was all I could think.

I saw her lift her head slightly. She looked at me for a few seconds, but then slumped down to the asphalt, unconsciousness.

I immediately transformed and gently pick her up.

"Oh Primus, Oh Primus. I hit a human, I hit a fragging human! Ohhhh please wake up… please wake up!!!” I whimpered prodding her gently with a finger. Her head lolled to one side but she didn’t stirr. 

"Bee! We don't want her to wake up, our cover's gonna be blown!" Sideswipe said, walking up to me. “Then we’ll all be in serious trouble.” 

"I don't care! I hit a fragging human! I need to know if she's gonna be alright! Oh slag, I might have killed her!! I'm slagged, I've gone and fragging killed her!" I yelled, panicking. I could feel my sparkbeat in my throat. One thought blazed across my processor, The Hatchet. 

"I've got to get her to Ratchet!" I cried, transforming, and leaving the twins behind, hitting my top speed within seconds, But not before I made sure she would land softly in my backseat. 

I got to base even faster than before. I didn't bother transforming to run to the medbay once I got inside base. 

I screamed at people to move out of my way trying not to crash into anyone’s ankles or stabilizers. I transformed once I got to the medbay. 

"Ratchet! Please! Help!" I begging trembling with my guilt. 

"What the hell do yo-" He stopped as soon as he saw the human in my hands. My hands that were covered in her blood… I could have purged right there. 

"What happened?" He questioned taking her into his own hands. 

"I swear! It was an accident! Me and the twin were out racing messing around and we were heading back, and since we were on an abandoned highway that almost no one ever uses anymore, we figured we were okay, so we were racing and stuff, and I decided to stunt just a little bit and show off, so I was driving backwards and didn't see the human and I turned around 'cause the twins were screaming and yelling at me to watch out, so I turned around and I didn't have time to stop before I hit her, and she was in the middle of the fucking road, and I hit her Ratchet! I hit her! Her blood's all over my hood and I ran over a human! A human Ratchet!!! I -” 

 

"Get out,” he said firmly as he began to gather the right resources. At least, I assume what he’s doing. 

"Will she be alright!?" I questioned still shaken up over the whole thing. 

"Get. Out. Bumblebee." He said again. 

"Ratch-"

"I said get out, or I will shove this wrench so far up you aft, that you will be tasting it for weeks.” He snarled at me. I whimpered and I shut up. By his tone, I could tell that he wasn't kidding. I turned on my heel, and walked into the waiting bay. I just hoped that I wasn't too late. If she died, I would never forgive myself. And neither would Optimus.

(Ratchet's POV) 

As soon as Bumblebee left my medbay into the the waiting bay, I set to work. I knew she would be alright. If she were actually human, than she would already be dead. I dryly chuckled as I realized today's date. I would have seen her later today anyways. Poor Bumblebee, though. He looked absolutely traumatized. Maybe he'll feel better when he hears that she wasn't human at all. But another issue came to mind. 

How is she going to react to the truth? Or more importantly, what am I going to tell her sire and carrier?


	3. Startled

(Ratchet POV)  
I set to work restoring her original body. I rush to the stasis room. It's almost like a morgue only for people in stasis and not deceased. As I unlock I remember my daughter saying something about the younglings in her age group rumoring it to be haunted. 

The door slides open. There is only one occupied stasis tube. I go to the very back of the room. 

The stasis tube asks me for a code. I give it and it opens. I freeze in my steps. 

I know the body would continue to grow normally, but this was the first time I had actually seen her in twenty years. Any mech that had half an optic could easily see that she's beautiful. 

He face is slightly rounded and still looks childlike. Her optic covers are accented, making them look slightly longer. Her paint job is a lilac purple that compliments her peraly white accents. 

Her helm has three points that curve with her head. On her audios, there are two antennae that are angled, giving her an aerodynamic look.

Her waist curves gently into her hips, and she looks a little more mature than other younglings her age. Her arms are slightly scrawny compared to her legs, and are slightly short for her chassis. She is fairly short in general. At least a few feet shorter than my daughter.

I shake me head. I need to focus. I gently undo all the wires monitoring her vitals and feeding energon into her systems. I swiftly carry her to the medbay to undo the procedure I had given her twenty years ago.

1 hour later...

(Dawn's POV)

 

I felt myself slowly waking up. I heard two men in the background. 

"Bumblebee. I will let you know when the human is conscience. Just wait in the waiting bay, or go to the rec room." One said.

"But can't I just wait here? Until she wakes up?" Another voice said. I assumed this voice was someone named "Bumblebee." A very strange name for a man. A nickname maybe?

"No," the first voice said. "Don't you think she'd be overwhelmed if she wakes up to find an alien mental titan sitting next to her after she just got run over by a speeding Camaro at six o'clock in the morning?" 

A pregnant pause followed as my mind raced. Was I abducted? No that was ridiculous! Honestly, it had to be… there is no way I’m on an alien ship.

"You're right, Ratchet. You're the medic." He paused. Ratchet? That was an even stranger name. But, then again, people had odd nicknames for each other. Suddenly I was very very scared. I held extremely still as I heard footsteps walking towards me. 

"I promise, I will let you know when she is awake." 'Ratchet' said. Surely I heard his name wrong. It’s the medicine, It had to be. 

"Thank you. I'll be in the waiting bay. I can wait." I heard a door open, as 'Bumblebee' walked away. 

My curiosity overtook me. I slowly opened my eyes. In front of me, was, a robot? He was mostly white with reddish orange markings that made him look similar to an ambulance. But he wasn't exactly "giant." Maybe he was exaggerating? He started to turn towards me. I snapped my eyes shut. I didn't want him to know I was awake. Not yet. I want more information on them. 

"All I need to do is download this drive on Cybertron directly into your CPU. Then I'll be finished." I heard him mutter. 

What? Download into my CPU? I don't have a CPU I ’m not a computer! There was an awful sound of gears twisting rather rapidly. My eyes snapped open. I looked to my left and there was a very large steel drill twisting and pointed at my head. I screamed, jumping up. I looked at the alien that was operating the drill. He looked surprised. 

I looked at the table to the right of the bed I had just jumped off of. It was covered in tools. Mostly sharp tools. I got scared. 

On the table was scalpels, drill bits, wrenches, and other tools I didn't know of. 

"Dawn, listen to me." The alien in front of me was speaking to me. 

“Oh god you know my name!!” I shouted. I looked to the tray of different sharp tools were arrange and I picked up what I assumed was a scalpel. I pointed it at him trying my best to be threatening. He knew my name! He was approaching me. I was terrified. I felt odd feelings in my chest around my heart. I was terrified. I backed up against the door. 

"Dawn," he said again. Oh, god. He knew my name. He knew I got run over. And he was going to chop me up. He was going to dissect me and torture me. 

I found a button. I hit it and it opened the door I was leaning against. 

I sprinted out of there like my life depended on it. My life did depend on it!

I am on an alien ship, most likely swarming with alien robots from god knows where with no knowledge of how to get home, or where I am, or if I'm even on Earth anymore. Their medic named Ratchet, somehow knows who I am, and is after me and wants to drill into my brain. I just escaped from the "medbay as he called it, and now, have no idea what's going to happen next. But I do know the one word that keeps repeating in my mind. 

Run.


	4. Running

(Dawn's POV)

I pump my legs faster and harder. I don't dare to look back as I spot a hallway to the right of me. I a sharp turn into it. I hear a crash behind me. From the sound of it, when Ratchet had tried to follow me, he didn't turn sharp enough and skidded into the wall. I continue down the hallway. Suddenly, someone cuts me off. 

He is tall, and intimidating. He's painted red and has a scar running down his face. His armor is thick and bulky. 

I skid to a stop in front of him. I have to crane my neck to look him in the face. Before I have time to react, he picks me up, and holds me up to his face. 

"Now, where do you think you're goin'?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow. 

I don't answer. Instead, I kick him in the stomach, and I sink the tool in my hand into the junction in his collarbone, or whatever part that is. I continue running taking random turns. 

Left, left, right, left, right, right, center, left, right.

As I am running, I feel my feet leave the ground. I yelp in surprise and violently kick and scream to be put down. I twist my head around to see my captor. 

"No can do, lil' lady. We're gonna take you back to Ratchet." This one look different. I can't see his eyes. He wears something over them that can only be described as a visor.   
I deliver a swift, hard punch to the middle of it.

I see my hand as it hits him. My eyes widen. My hand is made of metal. I look down at the rest of me, which is also made of the same metal. I have armor like the rest of them. My armor is a shade of lilac with white and royal blue markings. I don't have enough time to fully see myself. 

 

He yells out and drops me in surprise, and the glass shatters and falls to the ground. I catch a glance at his eyes. They are different a different color, and are milky and look whitish. Unlike the one next to him. Before I can run away, the other one that is with the one with the visor picks me up. I squirm, but he has a tight grip on me. 

I notice something different about this one as well. Attached to his back are two wing-like structures that look similar to car doors.

I kick him hard screaming to put me down and how I would sue them and report them even if they probably didnt’ know what that meant. He takes a direct hits to his torso and the occasional one to the wing when I can reach. He gasps in pain and drops me to the ground in surprise. I don’t take the time to express my displeasure. 

On my way down another hallway, I push past a very tall alien with a cube of blue liquid in one hand and something that looks like an Ipad in that other. He gives me a confused look. I can't help but get a feeling that I’ve seen him before. 

I've been running for what seems like forever. I take a second to listen and hear if there are any other footsteps other than my own. I am beginning to tire myself out. 

I heard nothing, so I slowed down into a walk. 

I find the hallway I'm in looking familiar. I hear a voice coming from down the hallway. I preen my head around the corner. 

"Split up. We have to find her. I don't care if it takes four of you bring her back to the medbay. Now go! I'll be looking too since I doubt that she'll come back to the medbay. Comm. me if you find her, and bring her back here." 

I saw several different aliens take off in different directions. 

As soon as their footsteps died away, I snuck to the medbay doors.

If I'm going to make it out of this alive, I'm going to need something to defend myself..I peek inside the medbay. It was quiet and not a single alien inside. 

'Perfect' I thought. 

I sneak inside and look around. I run over to the large array of tools scattered about. 

'I can't just carry it all. That would be too noticeable and awkward.' I suddenly have an idea. I rush over to a bed and take the pillow off. I take a sharp knife and slice it in half. I yank the silvery soft stuffing out. Then I notice that all the tools are metal. Metal on metal makes noise, I realize. I grabbed a blanket, once all this adrenilline wears off I might need warmth.  
I start to line the bottom of the makeshift sack with it. After that's done I start to load tools that I may find useful into the bottom. 

A message pops up in the corner of my eye. 

"ATTENTION! LOW ON ENERGON! PLEASE CONSUME ENERGON WITHIN AN HOUR!" 

 

"What the…” I reached out to try and tough this box that popped up in my vision. Okay, weird. I can’t touch it so I have to be hallucinating. I do feel rather hungry...

I suddenly remember that really tall one was carrying some blue liquid. I look around for a little while before spotting a machine on the wall that resembles a water dispenser. On the bottom in small print, reads, "energon dispenser." Just to the left of it there are a pile of cubes and squares that look like they're lids. 

I take three and fill them and stash them away after taking a sip of one. It's sweet and taste like sugar water. I don't think Ratchet will notice the difference. 

I glance at the door nervously before taking a look around. I see a strap that looks like a belt.  
',Probably for his victims' I shutter. I wrap in around my waist and tightening it and fastening the makeshift sacks to the makeshift belt. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to. Ratchet already turned me into this who knows what else he could do. I peek out the medbay. No one is coming. I make a run for it. 

(Ratchet's POV) 

After searching for Dawn for over an hour, I return to my medbay. She might return to something that looks familiar. As I walk in, I can already tell something's out of place. It takes me a few moments to spot the difference, but I do notice it. A few of my tools are missing. The Energon dispenser has been recently used judging by the state of the cubes, and a bed is missing it's covering as well as there is stuffing on the floor. She has been here. I immediately comm the others. Not five minutes later, all of the officers are in the medbay. 

"Ratchet," Optimus says, walking forward towards me. "What's going on?" He asks in a calm, yet confused tone. He knew something was wrong. I never comm. Optimus to the medbay unless something was wrong or he needs an exam. 

"Optimus, earlier today, Bumblebee and the Twins were racing on the abandon highway that leads to base..." I trailed off, Optimus loved humans, and hated it when an autobot was responsible for one getting hurt. I really didn't want to tell him what happened this morning. 

He raised an optic ridge. "And?"

"I hit a human!"

Chaos ensures with plenty of lecturing.


	5. Lost and Found

(Ratchet POV)

...you're oldest daughter's on base." 

A pregnant pause followed my statement. The only one who seemed to know what I meant was Optimus.

"Maybe you should go lay down Ratch," my bond mate said walking up to me and snaking an arm around my waist. "You are a little warm." He seemed genuinely worried. The afthole. 

I glared at him.

//Wheeljack, if you don't remove your arm this second, I will rip you interface array out and make you eat it.// I hissed through our bond. He immediately let go of me and backed away slowly.

"Dawn's on base?" Optimus asked, finally coming to his senses. "You mean to tell me, that the human that Bumblebee ran over-"

"On accident!"

"-was my daughter?!" He asked, obviously, still somewhat shocked. 

Yet another pregnant pause echoed in the medbay as everyone attempted to make sense of the situation. Keyword, attempted.

"Wait, Bee ran over a human. How can that same human be Optimus's daughter?" Jazz said, asking the question, that no doubt, everyone, other than me and Optimus was utterly lost, I gave Optimus a look. There was no way in pit that I was going to explain that one. 

He sighed, as everyone turned their attention to him.

"It was twenty years ago today..."  
-" 

 

(20 years ago, 6:15 a.m, Optimus's POV)

"Congratulations, it a healthy little femme. But you know what has to happen. She is far too valuable to them." Ratchet told us. 

"We know," I said sorrowfully, "just, please, give us a few moments, to say goodbye." 

Ratchet nodded and stepped back to give up our space. I looked to my beautiful sparkmate, Elita. The mother of my child. The one I was about to give up. 

She was crying, and looking at our equally beautiful daughter. Her thin, delicate armor was colored a light shade of purple, pearly white highlights on her joints and details. Three small parts in her helm are visible a small blue stud in each. She had two ear finals that are angle backwards, each royal blue. Her optics are a brilliant shade of blue, a thin emerald ring surrounding the outside of her optic. A stripe of blue follows, before another thin ring, this one being the same lilac color as her body. The morning sun that streams through the small window of the medbay to allow some sunlight in, shows it to be sunrise. 

Elita suddenly sees me looking at her, and hands her to me. I take her without hesitation. 

I smile at at the little bundle of joy, holding her so she will be at my optic level.

She gazed curiously in my optics, as if wondering who I was. 

"I don't know if you know who I am," I start. " But I am your father, little one." The little sparkling giggles and reaches out for my face, touching my cheek. The sight brings me to tears, because, I know, that that will be the last time I will hear her laugh properly in a very long time. I pondered what to say next. "I wish we could raise you, I-I really do. But you're far too valuable to the Decepticons." I pause to wonder what to say next as the little sparkling in my arms looks as if she is thinking too. Luckily, Elita steps in. "We know it might not seem like it, but we will always be there for you."

"And to matter what," I pick up," you will always be our daughter.

 

"and we will always love you."

"We will come for you," I see the morning sunlight catch our sparkling 'a optics again. Suddenly, I know exactly what to name her. I quickly run it past Elita over our bond, and she immediately agrees..."Dawn."

She gently drops off to sleep, I feel my optics pool up again. 

"Is there no other way?" I ask feebly, "we could always have a guard on her, shield her. She might not be my heir! I was the youngest, it, it could be-"

"Optimus, she is the next Prime, and you know it. There is no denying it. She bears the mark, the matrix in your spark even confirmed it."

"But, what if this doesn't work? What if this 'treatment' fails? This could kill her Ratchet, We can't risk it, we could-”

"Optimus, there is no other way." Elita said suddenly. Our optics met. Her, filled with the same sorrowful tears as mine. I went to her knowing she needed my comfort.

"Look at the bright side. She won't have to worry about the war, she'll led a somewhat normal childhood, and when she does get subjected, she'll be mature and ready to handle the aspect of being a leader. Who knows what great thing is in store for her.” Ratchet, my oldest friend placed a hand over my own.

Ratchet's words did help ease the pain. “This could be my only child Ratchet. I wouldn’t live with myself knowing I failed to protect her.”

"Do you really want her to grow up with this?" He gestured to the raging battle outside. He must have seen the extreme hurt in my optics. "It won't be forever. It's just until she's mature enough to handle it, being an heir, everything. Just until she's a few decaorns old. Let her have that peace… maybe she wouldn’t have to see the war at all.” 

I looked at Elita. She nodded, tears still running freely down her gentle face. 

Ratchet, sensing our agreement and understanding brought a datapad over and asked us to sign and speak our consent aloud.

"I, Elita One, the mother of this child, give consent for you to treat my daughter with this experimental treatment." She said wearily, biting back the sobs I knew were threatening to rack her frame.

The datapad was suddenly in my hands. I looked to Ratchet, who in return, gave me a shake of the helm.

I sighed.

"I, Optimus Prime, the sire of this child, give you consent to treat my daughter with this experimental treatment."

He nodded a thanks to us, then saved the audio consent to a file, in case he lost the written form, and filed the signatures away.

 

He opened a drawer, pulling out a long, thick needle filled with a violet liquid. He injected half the syringe, and gently pulled the needle away from the infant's' neck. 

The effect was almost instant. The body of Dawn lay still and dormant, while 50 feet away, a small human, infant, hologram sizzled to life, still sleeping. 

Ratchet gently lifted her up and put her in a small basket and handed her to us. It is done...

(Present day)

"...so we took her, put her on the steps of a foster home in Carson City, watched from afar, and told everyone that Dawn died because her spark wasn't strong enough to support her systems. "

"We only lied to protect her. We wanted the Autobots to have hope for the future. And now that the war is basically over, it's safe for that hope to return."

Silence. 

"After all, if someone betrayed us. If someone wasn't quick enough, or if someone didn't do something right, then our future would crumble before us. Having an heir in war, is extremely dangerous. If there were to be an accident, and Dawn was set into Megatron's hands, then, the Decepticons would have the matrix, and we wouldn't have any hope for winning the war. Earth would be doomed, just like our home," Ratchet sighed. The rest of the officers looked to us and smiled in understanding.

(Dawn's POV)  
I had long since finished all the strange blue liquid, but didn't even know where I was. A few mechs had spotted me and I had used up most of my tools as ammo, throwing them at the ones who wanted to capture me. All I had was a blanket. I had also abandon my makeshift sacks somewhere in the ventilation shafts that I was failing to navigate. I whimpered and wrapped the thin sheet around me and sobbed softly into my arms.

I don't know how long I was crying, but a voice snapped me into reality.

"Hey, there."

I looked up, to see a mech with silver bull horns and a bright red paintjob. A country accent in his voice. It sounded like Earth… like my home..

I back up again the vent wall, afraid of what he'll do to me. 

He chuckled.

"Aw, don't be afraid me. I won't hurt ya." He said adjusting himself into a sitting position with some difficulty. He was still pretty big for the ventilation shafts. "Name's Cliffjumper. But everyone calls me Cliff. So, what's your name?"

I hesitate for a moment before muttering, "Dawn." I couldn’t help but feel utterly terrified, I felt like I was younger than I actually was...

"Dawn, huh? Pretty name. You must be that runaway patient from the medbay." He continued to attempt to console me with his soft voice. 

I nodded, my eyes, optics, whatever were tearing up. I sniffled and wiped at the dampness forming on my cheeks with my forearms. 

"Aw, don't cry. It'll be alright."

"I-I-I just wanna go home," I hiccuped, my body quaking with every sob I let slip out. 

He froze for a moment, "How bout we go get you some Energon or somethin'," Cliff smiled. I quickly shook my head scrambling backwards even farther. 

He flinched. “It’s okay… I promise.” He continued to sympathise with me, and scooted forwards inches at a time. “Ratchet scare you?” He questioned. 

I sobbed and nodded not knowing what else to do. 

“Aww, he’s a big meanie sometimes but he likes kids. I promise, he’s real gentle with younglings. Tell you what, I’ll take you down to the medbay and I’ll make sure he’s gentle, okay? Then we’ll get some energon in your systems. I know you must be starving…” He only continued to console me. 

I slowly looked up and nodded with a small sob. 

Slowly, he guided me out of the vents and into a hallway. He took my hand and led me through the hallways.

Until, the familiar doors of the medbay came into view. I didn't want to run anymore, so I just let him show me inside. A larger man(?) was inside giving orders to everyone else.

"-I want anyplace she can fit into checked. Alright?" 

"You won't need to sir. I found her," Cliff said.


	6. Explinations

(Optimus's POV)

 

"I want anyplace she can fit into checked-"

"You won't have to, sir." 

I turn to the voice that cut my order off. Cliffjumper, and a small lilac femme, stand behind me. My optics swept over the youngling. She was painted a purple lilac shade, with pearly white detailings and royal blue ear finals. I recognize her. She was the little youngling that ran into me. The one I didn't really get a very good look at before she took off again. 

I look down. 

Primus, she was short, even for a youngling. While I was standing at my full height, she only went up to about my hip. Well then again I did stand at a pretty impressive height.

It took a moment, but I also recognized her for who she really was, my daughter. 

Dawn. 

 

She looked up at me, many emotions radiating from her side of the little used and weak creator/creation bond we shared. Curiosity, Terror, Confusion, the list goes on. 

An idea struck me.

I knelt down. (Even kneeling I still had to look down.) I gently proded her spark. She gasped and looked to her chest, and back up to me. 

I offered a smile.

"Did you feel that?" I asked quietly. 

She hesitates, but nodded nonetheless. 

"That was me."

“How….” she murmured confused, and scared. 

“You’ve always been my daughter… It was an experimental treatment to protect you…” I explained softly. “You’ve never been human….” 

She cast her optics downward. Silence over took the room, as all of the occupants vaguely wondered what she was going to do next.

(Dawn's POV)

I look down. 

How could that...feeling....in my chest be him? Why was this happening now? How was he my father?

Why did he abandon me?

I suddenly don't feel so confused. I just feel angry. Angry at the man, or whatever, in front of me. 

"How could you?" I ask lowly. "How could you?!" I snap my head upwards at him. 

"I sat in an orphanage for the first sixteen goddamn years of my life. I sat there, wishing. Hoping. Counting down an unknown amount of day until you'd live up to that promise you made, every year, that "we will come for you" and you wait until I'm fucking twenty? What happened to "we will always love you?!" What happened to that!?" 

"Dawn, we do love you-" 

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?" I screech more angry tears bubbling up and rolling down my face, "I GREW UP WITHOUT YOU! YOU WEREN'T THERE WHEN I WAS SICK, YOU WEREN'T THERE WHEN I WAS ALONE! YOU DEFINITELY WEREN'T THERE TO TELL ME EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!" I paused.  
"You left me on a doorstep!! A doorstep!!! I couldn’t ever do anything with you because you weren’t there!! When I was in grade school I wanted nothing more than for you to take me to the father daughter dance!! I wanted you to tuck me in at night…. To read me bedtime stories..."

"Dawn, you don't understand, we-"

"Why. Why didn’t you want me..” I continued to be inconsolable, sobbing on the ground. I don’t remember when I fell to my knees. I sat on the cold ground, heartbroken. 

Suddenly there was a pair of arms around me. I stiffened as I felt warmth envelope me. A hug… I numbly thought. 

I’ve always wanted a hug…

Slowly, and hesitantly and returned the kind and loving gesture. I cried softly, not even noticing the surrounding beings.   
_____________________________________

The war, Cybertron, the Golden Age, and something called the Matrix. 

I blinked. 

I suddenly had a million questions. What happened to Cybertron? What caused the war? What was the Matrix? So many questions I could ask, but I settled for one. 

"Cybertron, the war. What does this all mean?"

"I promise, I'll explain everything. Just let me talk." He asks, looking me in the optic. I hesitate, and nod. 

"Many, many years ago, our home planet, Cybertron, was filled with life. Younglings like yourself played happily, mech and femmes raised families, and all in all, everyone was fairly happy. The Golden Age as we call it, however, was slowly dwindling to an end. The caste system was failing. They introduced a new form of government. The High Council. But soon after, the previous Prime, had passed on unexpectedly from cosmic rust. He didn't have an heir, and the High Proctor was assassinated a week previously. 

"The Council searched for a new Prime. My brother in arms, Megatronus, called for a hearing. The Council was getting desperate. They granted the hearing. I went as moral support. 

"My brother's speech began from the spark, inspirational, but quickly, he turned violet. Stating how if he were Prime, he would start to colonize other planets, and grow our empire to be the strongest in the galaxy, how he would destroy all that stood in his wake. I, disagreed. I jumped in and delivered a speech of my own. The Council was moved by my words instead, and quickly made me Prime. I, in turn, wanted to make Megatronus my High Proctor. 

"My brother, furious, had turned and left. He disappeared. I went after him. He wouldn't listen to reason. He blamed me and, in his fury, tried to kill me. He didn't succeed. 

"Over the vorns, he rose an army, speaking of how I was a traitor, and how I was a false Prime because I stood in the way of creating a better Cybertron. The Decepticons arose in an uprising. In turn, I rose my own army, the Autobots. One to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. I won't go into detail, but soon after, Tyger Pax fell with the Council. Megatronus, now shortened to "Megatron" started attacking the neutral cities. Crystal City, Praxus, Polyhex and many others. Iacon, the capital of Cybertron, became the capital of Autobot territory. Kaon, the capital of Decepticon's. 

"The uprising was then an all out war. Energon was being harvested and stashed off planet, neutrals were joining either side of the war. Or fleeing Cybertron. Soon after, we followed, because Cybertron was unsuitable to support life, of any form. 

"We landed here on Earth and continued the war. We protected the natives. In return, the government supplied us a base to call home. I sent a message, beckoning surviving autobots to Earth. Over the years, our ranks grew from five, to almost a hundred, and more recruits landing every so often. 

"I reunited with your mother, and she was soon sparked with you. The matrix branded you as the next bearer. But the war was raging harder than ever. If Megatron knew of your existence, then you'd be in so much danger. Once you were born, we gave Ratchet permission to administer an experimental serum, stolen and formatted from right under the Decepticons. Ratchet was fortunate enough to destroy the remains of the deadly base of treatment.

"After it was administered, we sent you away, so that you'd be away from the war, and it would be next to impossible to locate you if Megatron ever did find out about you. We wrote out a death certificate for you, marking the heir dead. 

"While the war raged on, our forces grew from a hundred to a hundred and seventy five total. There were neutral refugees on base that would watch over younglings. Our base was bigger, stronger, and safer. 

"Megatron, however, wasn't fairing very well. After we sent you away, Megatron's true intentions became clear, and what little sanity he had, withered away. Decpticons either fled Earth, or came to us, begging for a trial and mercy. Those who did come to us, were treated with extreme caution, are still not fully trust by some, today. 

"The war went on for another ten years. Until, I finally saw what I should have seen many years ago. My brother didn't exist anymore. He died the day he decide to go down this path. 

"I regret his death, and I dearly miss Megatronus’s friendship… it was very painful for me to end him. 

"With Megatron one with the Allspark, a new leader arose, and forcefully took control. His name is Scorpio. He is a brilliant, but mad, scientist. He brainwashed what little remained of his troops. We haven't heard a word from him for years six now. The last battle, however, destroyed our previous base. Some were lost in that battle, but they will be remembered. But anyway, it took a total of three years to straighten everything out with the government. We provide protection and medical and scientific technology, in return for a place to call home and materials to build with. As long as we are kept a secret from society." He paused as I took a moment to take all of it in. 

"Dawn," I looked up to my sire. "Understand, that we only sent you away, for your own good. We'd rather miss half of your childhood, than lose you. But we do love you and we regret every moment not spent with you."   
My father held his hand out to me. I looked at it. I didn't hesitate when I placed my own hand in his much larger one. He pulled me into embrace.

I don't know how long we stood there, but I didn't want to leave. 

I was finally home. 

“I think you should meet the rest of our family.” He said softly 

My heart skipped in surprise. “Family…?” I suppose my adventure is just beginning.


	7. Sibling

(Dawn's POV)

I sigh. I'm laying in my bed, berth I mentally correct myself. I'm laying on my berth that's set against the far wall of my room. I'm still trying to go over everything that has happened to me. I'm still on the fact that I'm a completely different freakin' species than I thought, let alone that I even have parents or that I'm heir to Prime. I still don't fully understand that concept, but I don't want to ask right know, because that would most likely make things even more complicated.

At least my mom was nice… a little clingy though. I can’t complain or really blame her at all. It had taken a long half hour of cuddling and hugs and kisses and enquiring if I was comfortable enough, if I was hungry, to get her to leave me alone with my thoughts for a while.

So, as of an hour ago, I found out that not only am I some alien princess, but I'm the oldest of four siblings, two bo-, I mean, mechs, and two femmes. 

None of them knew I existed. Their reaction to me, wasn't very good, to say the least.

(Flashback- 1 hour ago)

"So, you're telling me, that this femme is our older long lost sister, that you hid from everybody, even your own children, for five decaorns??" He asked. He stood taller than me, almost to father's chest, while I only stood just below his waist. He was almost an exact copy of father. His helm and paint was the only difference. In the middle of his helm was a crown like incline that wasn't as tall or majestic as father's, a small plate like part of it dipping down in between his eyes, er, optics. Two bumps sat on either side of the incline. 

His is paint, instead of a royal blue, was a much darker navy blue, and his optics were a bright artic color. The same artic as his secondary color. 

"We only hid her to protect everyone. We didn't want anyone getting hurt. It was better this way." My mother, I learned her name was Elita One, said in a sincere, quiet voice. 

He stared down at me for a while before looking back up to mother and father. 

"Alright, I'm stumped. What's the joke? I don't get it."

Father chuckled nervously, adjusting his hold on my shoulder. "Orion, this isn't a joke, son."

He was silent as he stared back down at me.

"What do you mean this isn't a joke? It's not probable. I'm the oldest, and, no offense kid," Orion said turning to me," but, why don't I take you back home to your real parents, they must be worried sick. Now can you tell live?" His voice sliding into a familiar "talking sweetly to a little kid" voice I used at the foster home with the littler ones.

I felt fairly offended that he felt like he had to use that on me. 

"Aha, yeah, no. Let me make something, very, very clear, Orion, was it? I'm twenty, not two. I don't care if I just met you, but you will not, I repeat, NOT, use that voice when you are talking to me." I growled sternly. He apparently was taken back after I scolded him.

"And, no," I continued, "this isn't a joke."

I stuck my hand out in a gesture to shake his hand. "Hi, I'm Dawn. I'm your older, long lost sister." I chuckled awkwardly as he stared at me again. Then started to glare. "You're seriously not kidding about this?"

"No?" I replied in an unsure tone. The tension snapped then and there. 

He shoved my hand away. "No, this isn't real. I'm heir to Prime, not you! This doesn't make any sense! I don't have an older sister, and certainly not one this short."

"Hey, if you think we're not not making sense, try my point of view, I woke up a completely different freakin' species for Primus sake." I huffed, I was rather proud of myself for remembering the correct terminology. 

"That can't be true. There isn't a way to change your species." Orion shot back.

"There is. The formula is just lost."

"Orion," father cut in. "I never confirmed you were my heir,” he said rather concerned with his action. 

He fell silent once again. "But-"

"Dawn, is heir to Prime." The Prime continued. "That's the entire reason you never knew about her. She is you sister."

"You can't expect me just to accept this. I refuse to! I am the oldest! I always have been, and I always will be!"

"Orion, calm down. We-"

"Weld it mom!" He snapped at her. 

"Orion, you apologize to your carrier, this instant,” Optimus barked at the youngling. 

"No! I told you. She's not my older sister!"

"Orion!" Father raised his voice. "I demand that you apologize to your mother and your sister!"

"She," he started in a low voice, pointing at me. "Is not my sister! So what, she supposedly shares the same parents. That means nothing. I will never look at her as my older sister, and I will never share my sibling bond with her. She is a stranger to me. Nothing more!" 

"Orion, please." Mother sighed. 

"No." He turned to me. "And you, Dawn, was it? Well, just because you jumped onto a train going 90 miles per hour doesn't mean you'll be offered a seat. The same applies here. You may have just appeared out of the blue, and you may claim to be my older sister, and you may be my father's heir, but you are not my sister, or part of my family. And you never will be." He hissed as his cold artic optics glared down at me. He suddenly turned and went down a small corridor. "Call me when our evening rations are here." He muttered before slamming the door. 

I looked at the other three sitting on the couch. None of them had said a word. 

One, a femme slide off the couch. She was about my height, only slightly shorter. Her helm was curvy, and had two small audial horns on either side of her head that twisted, similar to that of a ram. Just above her forehead sat a similar headdress like structure to mothers. She was also painted a rich boysenberry color with lavender detailing and azure optics. Her optics accented slightly, making her optics look slightly longer. 

The mech next to her stood as well. This mech, just as tall as me, looked like a genderbent copy to the femme next to him. only his colors, an admiral blue with teal detailing with sky blue optics, were different.

"I think we're going to go to our room for a bit." the femme said. "Name's Nova." She muttered. 

"Noble," the mech muttered before following his sister. “Umm.. nice meeting you I guess..”

The last was a spitting image of mother. Just like Orion. The only difference was instead of the pink color, she was more of a rose color. Her helm, having more of a ponytail look. 

"I-I'm going to check on Orion. Excuse me." The remaining femme said, before she rushed to what I assumed was her room.   
(end of flashback)

After that, my parents showed me to my room. I was surprised at how roomy it seemed. There was a berth that was quite comfortable, many things that father had called "datapads" and a desk against the other wall. The walls painted a nice, soothing violet color. 

It's nice. It really is. It just seems so strange to know that this is my room. I pull a datapad down from the shelf above my berth. It has picture of a metalic planet I know as Cybertron. My home world that I never knew, and probably will never know. 

I flip through picture after picture. The Praxus Helix gardens, Iacon hall of Records, the Plasa, the Council Chambers. It's all so beautiful. 

I hear a small, timid knock on my door. I set the datapad down to answer it. I slide the door open slightly. I recognize the femme. She was the one who excused herself to check on Orion. The rose colored one. 

"Uh, hi." She says timidly. "We weren't introduced properly. I'm Ariel." She says holding her hand out. 

I look at the gesture and take it hesitantly. 

"I'm Dawn." I smile. At least not all of them hate me. "Do you wanna come in?" I ask sliding the door open and stepping aside. She is my exact height. Her cobalt optics shining brightly. 

"Uh, sure." She says quietly. 

I let her inside and gesture for her to sit down on my bed, er, berth. 

"Listen, I'm sorry about Orion. He's never really done anything like that before. He's really an awesome older brother, well, younger for you, he's just upset and confused. He doesn't like it when he's confused. At all." 

"It's fine," I immediately respond. "I'm pretty sure we're all confused. I mean, I did just get run over at six in the morning by a Camareo then wake up in a completely different body. And you just found out you have an older sister that you never knew about." I joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood. 

She chuckled slightly. 

"Can we, I don't know, start from the beginning? And pretend that what happened an hour ago didn't happen?" She asks sheepishly. 

I look into her optics and smirk. "I'm fine with that, if you are." 

She laughs again. 

I can already tell this she's going to be a nice sister. 

(3 hours later)

"And that's why the twins hate crickets!" Ariel laughed. 

I laughed along with her. That was one heck of a story! 

"Wow," I gasp after I recover. "I can't wait to meet your friends." I say, "they sound amazing.!" 

Another knock sounds at my door. 

"Come in!" I call. 

The head of my father peeks in. 

"What are you two laughing about?" He asks with an amused smile on his face. 

Ariel giggles. "Oh nothing father, just telling Dawn why Nova and Noble hate crickets." 

He smiles warmly. "Well, it's time for supper. Why don't you two come out into the living room." 

"Alright, we'll be right there!" She calls happily after him. 

As we get up to head to the living room, Ariel chatters on. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was like I was always here and never left.


	8. Peers

(Ariel's POV)

"Come on Dawn! Please?"

"Ariel," she sighed, putting her datapad down. "You saw how everyone else reacted. It's been two weeks, Orion still hates me, and the Twin don't even talk when I'm in the same room, and, well, you heard the commotion I caused with the officers. Who knows how your friends will react?" Dawn sighed. 

I frowned. I just wanted her to meet some of the other younglings. Hang out, have a cube, maybe have some fun. 

"Dawn," I sighed. "You're going to be a leader one day. Our generational Prime. That means, whether you like it or not, you are going to need to socialize somewhat. Come on, let's just go get a cube from the rec room, and maybe play a few round of cards?" I suggested, slightly jerking my helm towards the door, smiling as innocently as possible. 

She cast her optics to the floor and sighed again. "I don't know Ariel." 

"Please?" I pleaded. 

She pursed her lips together and sighed. "Oh, alright. I guess an hour in the rec room won't hurt anything." She said getting up from her berth and walking with me through the door. 

We struck a casual conversation about nothing in particular on our way to the rec room. I say "the rec room," but there's actually two. One for the adults and one for us. If I recall correctly, there was an incident where when Orion was in the adult rec room with our parents as a little youngling, and he somehow got a hold of some high grade. After that scare, father made it a rule that if a youngling under the age of 20 was in the rec room, all high grade went up. No exceptions. 

I guess the adults got pretty annoyed at that rule and complained, so sire had a second rec room built for us "little one," as Ironhide so affectionately called us. After we got our own rec room, there was a few new rules and the old one was crossed out. The adults weren't allowed to have high grade in our rec room and no youngling was allowed in the adult rec room unless with strict permission. Now that I think about it, Dawn should be allowed in the adult rec room because she is in her upper adolescente years . 

My line of thought was cut short because I found we were in front of the rec room door. I notice the nervousness radiating from Dawn's side of the bond. I send a pulse of reassurance to her. She noticeable relaxes. 

"Ready?" I asked her. 

"As I'll ever be." She mumbles in reply. 

I press the button and it lets us in. 

(Dawn's POV)

As the doors open, I can feel another pulse of support from Ariel. I take a breath in, and I let Ariel guide me inside. 

There's bots of all ages ranging from younger than Nova and Noble to as old as Orion. I'm most likely the oldest here. There are a few mechs playing what I recognize as a video game. It's obviously some sort of racing game on, by human standards, a very large TV. There are a few scattered around to the various small tables against a wall. But Ariel is corralling me towards the large center table were there are five younglings. According to Ariel, they're all about her age, sixteen Earth years old. I swallowed nervously and walked towards them. 

One of them, a femme, looks up. 

"Hey, Ariel! Thought you weren't coming. Pull up a seat!" The femme in question was all white with arctic blue highlights, a slight accent and proud doorwings that perked up as she saw Ariel. 

"What took so long? We had to start with outcha!" Another femme, beside the first one, exclaimed. She was reverse colors of the femme beside her and a cheveron and a slight accent. Obviously sisters, if not twins. 

"So, who's this? Friend of yours?" Another, a mech, asked. 

"Sorry I'm late Tempo, I was just trying to convince her to come with me, and that you guys wouldn't freak out."

"Huh," the same mech muttered. "So this is the newbie? She's kinda short for a twenty year old, don't cha think?" 

Without warning, I found myself pinning this mech to the floor, my hand holding his arm in an uncle lock behind his back. I hear everything go very quiet, and I feel pairs of optics on me. I blinked and chuckled awkwardly. 

"S-Sorry." I stutter helping him up. "I'm a little sensitive about that." I confess, a little embarrassed. 

"No prob," He chuckles and brushes himself off. "Primus, you're fast! I didn't even get a chance to blink! Dad always did say I should watch my mouth around femmes. Sorry if I offended ya. My name's Haven, oldest of Ironhide and Chromia." He says, offering his hand to me. I take it and shake it. 

"That's Tempo, over there," he points to the femme with the arctic blue doorwings, "and that's, Rythym, twin daughters to Prowl and Jazz," they both wave. "The red one's Rose, oldest to Inferno and Red Alert," he points to a femme with a brilliant red and orange paint job with black hands, "that mech over there is Gale," he points to a mech with a mint green and white paint job, and a cheveron, "Youngest to Ratchet and Wheeljack, "and that right there is Xena," he finishes by pointing to the magenta and navy femme nearest to me. "Only daughter to Cliffjumper and Arcee." 

//Why are they saying who their parents are?// I ask over our sibling bond. 

//It's considered polite to specify your parentage and or position to other Cybertronians if you meet someone for the first time as a specification of exactly who you are. It's also a pride thing for the parents.// She explains. //I'll explain more later. Just introduce yourself, and say your position as heir to Prime.//

//Why would I mentions that?!//

//Because it's considered rude if you don't. Just do it, it'll make the announcement a lot easier.//

//Fine.//

"I'm Dawn," I hesitate for a moment. "Eldest daughter to Optimus Prime and Elita One and," I pause hesitantly. I glance at Ariel and she gestures for me to go on. I swallow nervously and continue. "Heir to Prime," I smile politely, silently praying for a promising reaction. 

Everything goes really quiet after I introduce myself. 

Haven's optics widen, and he stutters before he suddenly drops to his knees and bows his head. 

"My Prime! I-I sincerely apologize for my lack of respect towards you. I apologize for insulting your shortness-! I mean, your lack of-! I mean-! I apologize for insulting, and offending you. Please forgive me!" He stutters. 

My optics widen in surprise at the sudden change in atmosphere. Everyone who was sitting down is now standing at attention. 

//Why are they all doing this?//

//Since the end of the war, they started teaching us Cybertronian traditions, and social manners, you know, to keep them alive. Before the war, the Prime is like royalty because the Prime maintains the peace. So we've been taught to respect our Prime. They grew up around the rest of us, and are like an extension of family. But you're a stranger. You are this generation's Prime, therefore, our Prime. They all automatically respect you because you determine their position in a decade. They have no say in the matter that you will be at the top of the food chain. The chain of command.//

//What?!//

//Long story short, they think of you like a princess, because they don't know how to act towards you. They're more relaxed with me because they grew up with me and The others. We'll talk later, they're waiting for your answer.//

I look around and back at the mech kneeling before me. 

"Uh, it's alright, really! It's fine! But, you don't have to kneel. I'm not anymore important than anyone here."

"Oh, o-okay." He said simply. "But you are important, you are the future Prime-"

"I know, but I just got here two weeks ago, and I hardly know anything about anything. So, you wanna, I don't know play some cards? Have a cube of energon?" I offered. To my great relief, all the others in the background were sitting back down and they weren't all looking at me directly, but my audios picked up on my name in several of the conversations and I saw the occasional glance my way. 

I still felt the tension.

"So, uh, Dawn." Ariel said, trying to spark a conversation. "How was it like, you know, being human?"

Everyone at the table immediately looked up at me. 

"No way," Tempo, if I remember her name right, laughed. "You were human?" 

"Uh, yeah." I reply. "I grew up with humans, and I was technically human up until a few weeks ago." 

"Sweet! I've seen humans on TV and stuff, but, I've never seen one up close, or talked to one. What was it like?" Galen asked, excitedly.

 

*******************  
Soon after, the causal background chatter returned and the tense atmosphere finally relaxed. 

Orion had come up to Ariel and muttered that he was going to find somewhere else to read and left. 

I answered all of their questions and even taught them a few card games I learned at the foster home. They really seemed to enjoy "I Doubt It." 

I rearranged my cards and took a glanced at the pile in the middle of the table.

"Two sevens," Ariel said slapping a few cards down. I eyed her. Her mouth twitched.

"I doubt it." I said, reaching for the cards and flipping them over. A six and a seven. I smiled smugly. "Take 'em." I said pushing the pile towards her. 

She muttered something under her breathe and added the pile to her hands. 

Suddenly, I got a feeling in the pit of my tanks and in my spark. I froze. I sat idle for a few moments, optics wide, and unmoving. I didn't like this feeling. At all. 

"Dawn," Haven asked, a worried look on his face. "Are you alright?" 

"Something isn't right." I mutter. "Something's wrong....very wrong." 

Then I hear it. The "whooshing" of a jet flying over head, and the soft whistling of something falling from a high altitude. It was almost inaudible, but everyone else seemed to hear it too and everyone in the room went silent. The cube beside me started to shake. I had a sneaking suspicion....Oh, Primus. My mind raced. I would rather be safe than sorry. 

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!!" I scream just as the alarms blares. I yank Ariel under the table with me and shut my optics. I feel the base shake underneath me.

I feel impact after impact. The base is shaking terribly. Suddenly, I hear a deafening "BOOM." The closest wall is suddenly no more. 

Terror. 

That was the only word for it. Pure terror. My audios are ringing, but I can still hear screams of terror echo through the rec room, the screams are calling for carriers and sires. Terror and fear is radiating from all of my siblings. I send rapid burst of reassurance and love. Orion just rejects it and throws it in my face. 

Father and Mother are frantically asking if we're alright. 

I thought father had said the war was over? I thought he said that we didn't have to fight or fear for our lives? 

When I open my optics, I see the lights are out, and the room is illuminated by the emergency, red flashing lights on the ceiling.

I hear a mechs voice over the intercom. "DECEPTICONS ARE ATTACKING! THE BASE HAS BEEN HIT! REPORT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM FOR BRIEFING. I REPEAT! DECEPTICONS ARE ATTACKING THE BASE!" 

I get a comm. from father. 

::Dawn?! Are you alright?:: He asks, ::I can't get through to your siblings! I need you to follow the protocol. The base has been hit, you need to make sure that all the younglings, sparkling, and Neutrals to the shelter!::

I answer it immediately. 

::Yes, I'm fine father. I have Ariel. But where's the shelter?::

::Sector G, corridor 12. Just at the end. Swoop is on his way to escort you. I'm sending him with a datapad with an attendance sheet. I need you to help Swoop and Bluestreak escort the younglings the shelter, and tell everyone to shut their bonds with their parents.::

::Why do we only have two escorts? There must be at least fifty neutrals!::

::I wish I could escort you all there myself, but they're right on our lines, and you need to get there and lower the blast doors now! The Decepticons are practically kicking our door down, and there are so many of them.:: He says quickly. ::We need all the autobots that are battle ready.::

 

I pause, to take a moment to think. 

::I need you to tell whoever is on the intercom make an announcement to meet in front of the Neutral's Sector. It'll be easier to round everyone up.:;

A pause came from the other end of the comm. 

::Done.:: Father said. ::I have to go Dawn.::

I nod, ::Alright, be careful out there. I-:: I hesitate. ::I love you, father.::

The other end of the comm. link is silent for a moment. 

::I will, Dawn. I love you too.:: And the line is cut. 

I stand up. 

"EVERYONE!" I shout. "FOLLOW ME! WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE SHELTER! THERE WE WILL BE SAFE! MEET IN FRONT OF THE NEUTRAL SECTOR! GO!" 

Soon everyone is rushing out of the door, and the hole in the wall. I make sure I am the last one out, and I trail them. As I am following them, my audios pick up on something through the noise. 

"Help! Please! Somebody help me!" 

I recognize it. I run to the room to where it's coming from. An old boiler room. The door's been blown off, and inside there are fires all around. 

"Please! Someone! Anyone! Help!" He cries. 

I call into the room. 

"Orion?!"


	9. Shaken

I stare into the fire filled room, Orion is in there. I can't just leave him there, but, oddly, I am hesitant to save him. Everything he's said comes rushing back to me. All the rude insults that were thrown at me, echoed through my head... 

'She isn't my sister. I will never share my sibling bond with her, I will never look at her as an older sister. She's nothing more than a stranger to me.' 'Dwarf.' 'Go back to the orphanage....' 'When will you see you're not wanted here, runt!' 'I don't want to talk to you! I don't even want to look at you!' 'You're too small to be a Prime, they'll never take you seriously....' 'You're smaller than a mini-bot. That's saying something....' 'I don't want your help....' 'Ariel's only being nice. Don't expect her to hang around you forever...' 'You don't belong here...' 'You hardly know anything about Cybertron..' 'When will you see you'll never belong here...' 'This isn't your home-'

"NO! You may have said some obnoxious things to me, but I WILL save you!!" I sprint inside at full force, avoiding all the fire. I get burned here and there in the process, but I need to get to Orion! I shout his name. 

"Orion?! ORION!?!?" 

I hear coughing to my left. I maneuver as best as I can through the burning inferno. I keep calling his name out. 

"Orion?!" 

"P-Please." He coughs. "Help. Me...."

I look all around for him. I peer through the smoke, trying to clear my intakes of it. I cough as I continue my search-there! I run towards him. He's trapped under some debris. He coughs. 

"Y-you? But-" I a finger over his mouth. 

"I know how you feel about me, but right now, we need to put this aside! Do you understand?!" I shout over the roar of the fire around us. 

He nods. 

I try to pull him out, but he won't budge. He groans. I stop and try again. 

"Dawn, I'm stuck! It's no use!" He shouts. 

"I'm going to get you out of this!" I say. I look for something to lift the debris with. I cough as I spot some pipes. "I'll be right back, alright?" He coughs again and nods. 

I weaved my way through the melted metals and dodged more debris. As soon as I got close enough, I reached out to grab a pipe. I grab the longest one and head back. He coughs and lays his head back on the ground. 

"Orion!" I say. He looks up. 

"I thought you were actually leaving me." he says surprised. 

"Why would I leave you to die? You may hate me, but that doesn't mean I hate you. Now I won't be able to hold all this debris up for long, as soon as I lift up, you need to get out of there! Alright?" I shout over the noise around us. 

He nods and I shove the pipe under the debris and prop it up with a large chunk of melted metal to act as a leaver. 

I try to use what little weight I have to weigh it down. I my arms shook as I tried to lift it. I struggled and strained to lift it in even the slightest. 

"Come on, Dawn. Just a little harder!" Orion said hoarsely. 

I let out a strained grunt as it lifts up just a little. "I'm almost out! just a little higher!" I hear. 

I strain again and let out a shout of effort as it lift just a little higher. "Now Orion!" I shout. He rolls out and I let go. I pant as I fall to the floor on my knees. He takes my hand. "Dawn, we have to go!" I nod and get to my feet as he pulls me along. We dodge the fire and run to the exit. I shove him down onto the corridor floor as whatever left over gases that were in there finally overheats and explodes. 

We slowly sit up. 

"D-Dawn, you saved me...." He says in awe. 

"You can thank me later!" I say hurriedly. "Right now we need to get everyone in front of the rec room to the shelter! We have to-" I let out a sharp squeak of surprise as I am lifted up off the ground. 

I am turned to face a large red optic that takes up the entire mech's face. He holds me close to his giant optic with one hand. As I feel him slowly looking me over. He turns me so he can examine my entire body. He stops and looks underneath my left audio. 

"You are heir to Prime. You shall make an excellent queen for Master." He said in a monotone voice. He looked to Orion who was shaking in terror on the floor. "You shall make an excellent specimen for my latest experiment..." 

He reached out to him to pick him up. I took a chance and elbowed his ginormous optic. "Orion run!"

He shouted out in pain when his optic cracked. I watched as Orion runs. 

::Get everyone to safety! Don't worry about me!:: I say over the comm. 

::B-But-::

::No buts! Go!:: I shout over the comm. link before cutting the connection. 

He growled at me before wrapping his other hand around my throat and bringing me to his optic level again. I looked into the cracked glass of his one optic. I choke and cough slightly. 

"You shall pay for that, femme." He growled. "Perhaps I should sell you to Lockdown. He pays well for new trophies." 

My optics go wide with fear at his threat. A mech I don't recognize comes up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. The mech that is gripping my throat turns his head. 

The mystery mech draws his fist back and punches the other, square it that big red optic. He drops me in surprise as he cries out. He falls backwards, his optic completely shattered. I cough and stuttered as I was able to suddenly vent easily again. I look up to meet my savior's optics, only to find a thick black visor blocking his entire face. He grabs my hand. 

"Run," he whispered. 

He starts to run alongside me, guiding me through the thick smoke that seemed to fill the hallways and corridors. I coughed. 

"Come on, this way." He says. His voice is smooth and is a sweet sounding tenor. I look at him as I run. He is tall and lanky, his servos are long and thin and his armor is black and purple. I notice the insignia. It isn't an autobot. It's purple and is more pointed and reminds me of a fox. It's hard to see with the long scratches running through it. We turn a corner and all I can see is the bright flash before everything goes black.

My audios are ringing as my optics come back online. I feel pain rocketing up my legs and a strong, painful burning sensation on my back. I see a tall pale yellow, grey, and black mech walking towards me. I look up to meet his optics. They're also a disgusting shade of yellow that one would describe as piss colored. His servos are long and slender, and his face is twisted and scarred. He bent down to my level. 

"Well, well, well." He says. His voice is scratchy and deep. His breath stinks of old high grade and I can see he is missing a few dental plates. "What do we have here?" He lifts me up by my neck and examines me just like the red optic-ed cyclopes. I grip his wrists to try to take some pressure off. He sees the marking below my left audio and hums. "The mark of a Prime. She will make an excellent pet for me to dangle in front of Optimus." He grins sickly. "Then perhaps, an excellent queen. I do need more drones...." 

I spat in his face. "You're a sick and twisted bastard." I growled. 

He growled back and dropped me to the ground before kicking me forcefully in the abdomen. I cough as the wind is knocked out of me. 

"I ought to teach you some manner, filthy autobrat." 

"Leave her alone, Scorpio." The visored mech growls. He is also kicked hard in the ribs. He curled inwards slightly. The mech addressed as Scorpio snarls at us. "Take them back to base. Throw them in the brig. I will deal with them later." 

The drones picked us up, and attached a strange device to the underside of the armor around my neck. They cuff us as a large green portal is opened and we are taken through. I tried my comm. only to find it spitting static. I see one of them bring and hand up and I feel them strike the back of my head, hard. I feel dizzy as I see the black spots in my vision grew. Everything went black and I knew consciousness no more.


	10. Numbing

Optimus's POV

I paced back and forth for what seems like the thousandth time. It was just after Scorpio had called a retreat that All of us were immediately suspicious. Scorpio was smart. Smarter than Megatron was, that's for sure. But the smartest move didn't seem to be calling a retreat at the time. If anything, the best move would have been to take the base. But instead, just as they were about to, they backed off. We were all confused until we found out that there was a child missing. We must have taken an hour before we figured it out. 

Dawn. 

She was missing, no missing means we don't know where she is. Taken. 

My eldest daughter. 

I never thought it would be her. Well, then again, who thinks that their child would be taken anyway? 

I hear the door slid open. Hound walks in. I look at him hopefully, praying silently that Dawn is just behind him. But he just looks down and shakes his helm. 

"I'm really sorry sir. We've searched everywhere. We didn't find any sign of her." 

I nodded. "Expand your search. We must find her." I answer back. I force my voice to drain of my true emotion. 

He sighed. "We've been at it for three days sir, they're all out. I have to call them back soon. It's getting too dangerous to search. They might come back."

"I just got Dawn back. I can't lose her now. Not after years of watching her grow up from the sidelines. I gave up her childhood so she would be safe, and now, I just let her fall helplessly into Scorpio's vile servos." I growl back at him, anger sparking and rising within my spark. 

A long silence follows me statement. 

I heard Hound sigh, "it's not your fault sir, no one saw it coming. They caught us off guard," He said sadly. 

I bit my lip and nodded feeling ashamed of my actions. But that still doesn't mean I don't feel guilty. I had promised her that the war was over...

"Sir?" Hound said snapping me away from my thoughts. 

"Sorry Hound. Just thinking..." I said trailing off. 

He nodded. "Alright. Well, we'll keep lookin'. I know it might not be much condolence, but we'll try our hardest to find her. 

"Thank you Hound," I say automatically. 

He nods in acknowledgement and an awkward silence overtakes the room. "I'll just leave you be..I'll see you later, sir." 

I nod and he leaves me in my office alone. I buried my face in my hands. How could I have let this happen?

(Dawn's POV)

I yelped as I was backhanded roughly and thrown against the wall. I coughed up some energon on the floor. I squeaked as I was lifted up off the floor by my neck and tossed against the opposite wall harshly. I let out a sharp cry and crumpled to the floor. 

Cuts ran up and down my legs and Energon dripped from them. My right optic was shattered, my visor with it. My left arm was obviously broken judging on the dull pain radiating from it as well as the awkward angle it was bent at.

Tears streamed down my face as I whimpered for him to stop. 

He chuckled at my feeble plea. "It will stop if you tell me what I want to know." He said picking me up again. "Tell me the prophecy. Tell me where you're wretched sire hid the Iacon Relics." He growled.

I coughed as a sudden burst of bravery bubbled up. I gathered the energon in my throat and mouth and spat in his optic. "Never." I growled back. 

He grimaced disgusted and slapped me across the face again before dropping me to the floor. He turned to the guard. "You." He muttered.

The guard turned to him. "Yes, you. Get her out of my sight. Take her back to the cells, throw her in with the other war prisoners. Maybe they’ll tear her apart.”

"Yes Master." The guard replied automatically. I lay whimpering on the floor, wanting for the pain to end. 

I felt him pick me, it wasn't as gentle as I'd liked it to be, but it was gentler than Scorpio's hand. I was happy with that. He walked for sometime. I heard a door open and he walked inside with me. There were some voices. My senses weren't sharp enough to decipher where they were coming from. I heard the faint humming of probably an engine. I dared to open my one good optic a crack.

I was in some sort of jail housing. There were all sorts of cages and cells. Some hung from the ceiling with up to three others in them. My vision was blurry and I could make out any faces, but the small glints of light from their optics told me that they were looking at me. I could hear the guard's ped steps against the dull floor. He kept walking. All the way to the end. 

He walked up to a separate room at the back of the current one we were in. 

"Open up." He said to another guard. 

The guard nodded and typed in a code of some sorts and pressed a button, and the door hissed open. The mech stood guard and blocked the door as the mech carrying me to what I assumed was my cell. Before I knew it I was being laid down on the ground again. 

I heard the guards walk away and the door hissed shut. I curled in slightly, whimpering as I wept to myself silently. 

(???? POV)

We were all gathered to the back of the cell. It's been awhile since this has happened. There were bringing someone new in. I wondered who it could be. Perhaps it was Starscream? Had they finally caught him? 

The thick grey divider dropped from the ceiling and onto the red line that we had to be behind in order not to get crushed. It was part of a system to prevent one of us from escaping while they brought in new prisoners. If we didn't comply, not only will our rations be cut for the rest of the week, but they'll deliver a quite painful electric shock until you pass out and they drag you to the back. At least if they decided to not let the giant block crush you.

I will admit, it's clever. It's also hard to get around it. We all shared these two big roomy cells on each side of the narrow strip of hallway that connected at the back of the corridor. They wanted us to have contact with each other to see if we would kill each other. So far, it hasn't worked. Yet.

We get strict rations. 2 cubes a day per prisoner. No exceptions unless you deal some useful information out. Then you might get better energon or more but that's it.

We watch as the divider starts to lift. I can tell by the faint buzz in the atmosphere that I am not the only one who is genuinely curious as to who the new prisoner is. Someone familiar perhaps? As the cybertronian comes into view, my spark almost stops in it's casing. 

The frame is very small, but it is obviously a sparkling or a youngling. It is hard to tell from the position they're in, but it doesn't take a scientist for me and everyone else to know that whoever it is isn't an adult. The young one is laying in a small puddle of their own Energon. . 

I rushed up beside the child. 

"Hello? Can you hear me?" I asked frantically. I gently roll them onto their back so it is easier to examine them. It is apparent that the youngling is a very young femme. She whimpers slightly in response. She is covered in dents and cuts of all kinds, her right optic doesn't look too good either. It's obvious that she's just come from the torture chambers. 

I feel sickened. I never knew Scorpio would stoop so...low. Not even Megatron would do so much physical damage to someone so young.... Yes Megatron was cold sparked, but would take the youngling in and raise it to the decepticon cause. Not torture it. 

I gently lifted her up and placed her on a berth. "Someone get me a spare sheet or something." I say. 

There is some noise and I am given the cleanest spare sheet we have. I start to shred it in strips and wrapping her wounds. I finish and check my handy work. It seems to look alright. I draw the thin blanket over her and leave her to rest. 

"I can't believe it. A youngling." Hook muttered.

I nod numbly in agreement. 

"Let's leave her to rest." I say softly walking away from the berth with the injured youngling. I hear Hook follow me. I vaguely wonder where Soundwave is.  
Wherever you are Soundwave. Please hurry to bring help...


	11. Sanctuary

(Dawn's POV)

I wake up in a white room. No..it's not a room. It's far too big to be a room and there aren't any walls that I can see. I realize I can see out of both optics, and the pain is gone. I stand up cautiously testing my legs. I look around me. It's cold. Really cold. 

"Hello?" I call out wrapping my arms around myself. "Is-is anyone there?" I asked the empty void around me. I start walking forward. 

I hear a rapid footsteps behind me. I whip around, but no one is there. I hear it behind me once again. I turn around only to be met with the same blank space. I can feel my spark pounding away in its chamber. I can see my breath in front of me in an icy white cloud. I see a shadow in the corner of my optic. It darts away before I can see it fully. I can hear it giggling. I spin fully around and come face to face with....a femme? 

She looks eerily familiar. I feel like I've seen her before...more than once. I racked my mind for memories but come up with nothing. "Who are you?" I demanded.  
She laughs again, "You don't recognize me Dawn? I'm surprised! But then again, most don't see it right away." She replies. Her voice is sugary sweet, and high pitched, giving off a fake innocence about her. 

I eye her wearily. "You know my name.." 

She giggled again. "Of course I know your name! It'd be kinda silly if I didn't!" She grinned widely. "But then again Dawn, you are really naive!"

"Naive?" I repeated. 

She nodded. "Oh yes, so so innocent, so...unaware. You’re a sweet summer child..." She chuckled. "You've never experienced anything. One would go as far as to say...isolated. Cut off from the rest. You wanted something different, but you were too afraid to go out and get it yourself! Instead it had to hit you, or run you over.." She smirked. 

"How do you know all this??" I asked, a creeping feeling crawling up my spine, I stepped closer yet, examining her face again. Childish and young...Was she one of Ariel's friends?  
"Oh you're thinking so so hard." She smirked. "Good try though.." 

"Who are you." I demanded again. I could feel anger and frustration bubbling up in my chest. 

"You've seen me so many times Dawn. I know everything about you." The mysterious femme had started to circle around me. She paced like a predator would. I could feel my spark pounding away in my throat. She ghosted passed me, barely coming into contact with me. I shivered as a wave of cold washed over me. 

"I know how self centered and needy you are because of the lack of attention at childhood. I know how insecure you are about your position as Heir to Prime. I know how dull you are with Cybertronian customs and culture. I know how much you want to be accepted by Orion. I know how much you think you need to be his older sister...I know how you've failed as an older sister." She smirked as she continued to pace around me. "But I can make you a deal." She offered. 

I looked up at her, a strange sensation washing over me. “A deal…?” 

"I'll do a better job. I'll take your place and relieve you. You stay here and live in solitude. You can live in peace.." She smiled sweetly. "You be the reflection. You can be Mirror and I'll be Dawn." She uttered softly and coming closer. "You'll be happy here, Dawn. I promise."

I looked at her, and the sudden realization dawned on me. "You're me..."  
She smiled again. "My name's Mirror. You always did say you wanted to meet yourself from another's point of view." Mirror whispered softly to me as she sauntered closer. "You can be the reflection...I'l be you. I'll fix it. I'll do a better job. All you have to do is touch my hand."  
I looked at the hand she put up. Why was it so tempting? It did make sense, though. The reflection can't mess up. The reflection doesn't have to carry the burden of the Title, Prime. Or the burden of an entire army to command…

Without realizing it I had placed my hand parallel to hers, our wrists lining up.   
I can feel my optics water with the pressure behind them. I feel light headed, like I’m being dulled down, like I’m not truly aware of anything. "Will it hurt?" 

"That's the best part." Mirror smiled. "It won't, and it will never hurt again. You'll never have to feel pain again, and all you have to do is touch my hand, just like this."  
Time seems to flicker for a mere fraction of a second as I hesitate. 

Suddenly, I feel something wrap around my other hand. For a second I feel a sense of deja vu. But instead of a black visor, I see brilliant blue optics.

"Run!" 

I can hear Mirror shriek in rage, what she says in incoherent but I have a feeling it wasn't exactly very nice.

He runs with me alongside him. I can feel him dragging me, I fight to keep up. I dare a glance behind me. A big ominous shadow is following up. I look closer and I can see faces. Mutated, evil optics staring back at me. I can hear their warped voices crying. "Help us! Save us!" While others are moaning, "join us..." Mirror's optics, no longer Blue, are also sickly and disfigured. 

"Don't look back! Look at the gate!" He yells yanking me to go faster. I pump my legs faster to keep up with him. My spark pounding frantically. My audios can still hear their cries. "Save our souls!!!" A big silver gate is rapidly approaching, they slowly creek open. 

"Keep going, don't listen to them, keep looking at the gate!!! We're almost there!" He says dragging me. Adrenaline fueling me. I will myself to run faster, barely keeping my balance. 

We run through the gate and it slams behind us, seconds after I can hear them shrieking and banging on the gates. I trip on the way inside and fall down panting. I feel myself being pulled up as a million questions racks my processor. 

"Are you okay?" He asked. 

"Define 'okay'!" I pant completely out of breath

"Easy now." He soothes rubbing my back.

I look around and find myself in another white room, I look back and the gates are gone and all is quiet. "Welcome to the Sanctuary." He smiled softly. 

"Sanctuary?" I parrot back. 

"You probably know it as 'the well of All Sparks.'" He explains. "I'm Tailgate."

"Wait..back up. I'm in the Well?" I asked, the statement hitting me like a brick.

"Yes, you are." Tailgate confirms. "Is there anyone you'd like to see or meet that has passed on?" 

"I'm...I'm...dead?"


	12. Prochecy

I stared at him in disbelief. "Dead? As in I've kicked the bucket?? But that isn't fair!!" I shout at the taller blue colored mech infuriated. My face twisted into an expression mixed between confusion and rage. "I'm 20 years old!! I haven't lived yet!! I don't even know how to drive yet!! I haven't made up with my brother!! How can I be dead?!"

He backs away a few steps worriedly, almost as if he was afraid. "I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do..."

"This isn't fair!! I don't even remember how I died!!!" I cried out stepping towards him. "This HAS to be some sort of mistake!!"

Tailgate looked about ready to say something to me but looked past and behind me stammering slightly. "Vector Prime....." He began searching for something to say.   
I turned around, facing who he was talking to. What I saw was an elderly mech. His optics glowed a brilliant Blue. His armor was white and gold in most places. A few red accents thrown in here and there. 

The elderly mech sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness, you've found her, Alpha Trion is throwing a fit trying to locate her. Thank you so much Tailgate." He said before grabbing my hand. "Right, Dawn come with me."

I yanked my hand away. "Woah, what the hell do you think you're doing??" I exclaimed, startled by his sudden actions. I took a few steps back away from him as a precaution.

"You need to come with me to the council, we don't have much time." He said speaking quite quickly. Almost seeming...frantic?

I studied him. Now that I took a closer look, I could see the tiredness in his optics. They seemed rather... dim. "Why should I? What the hell is going on?" I asked starting to actually fear what this mech could do to me when angry because of how imposing and intimidating he was even if he did look like he could be my great grandfather. 

"You know what? This is quicker!" He said grabbing my hand. I attempted to struggle away but his grip on me was far too tight. Another blinding light engulfed me and the older mech. I screamed in protest. I was also well aware of how childish I was acting but I wanted all of this to stop!

I wrestled my hand away from him clawing and scratching and even attempting to bite his wrist so he would let go of me. He gave a highly exasperated sigh. "Oh will you silence yourself??" He asked picking me up with one arm and hoisting me over his shoulder. I continued to scream and kick hoping someone, anyone, would save me from whoever this mech was. Suddenly the white light went away and we were in another room. I thrashed desperately, but luckily he set me down. I scrambled to get away. 

"There, now was that so terrible?" He asked in a rather grouchy tone. 

I sat on the floor with a huff. He can force me somewhere, but he can't force me to cooperate.

He sighed yet again. "Come on ever-"

"No." I cut him off. 

He wheeled around on his heel to look at me. He chuckled, "excuse me?" 

"No." I repeated, very childish I know, but I was dead, what's the damage I could do?  
He forced a sickly sweet smile onto his face. "Please follow me Dawn. It will make everything so much easier." he grounded out through his denta.

"NO!" I snarled back at him still sitting cross legged on the floor with my arms crossed in front of my chest.   
He groaned and dragged his hand down his face. "I know you are much much more mature than what you are acting like.." 

"NO!" 

"And why not?!" He shouted back at me. 

I stood up infuriated, frustrated, and all in all, just done. "Because I've got no idea who you are, where I am, or why I'm here!! I'm terrified, confused, and I wanna go home!!" I cried tears suddenly streaming down my face. I sat back down to the floor and wept like a child. I was embarrassed that I was actually crying and sobbing and throwing this huge tantrum in front of this absolute stranger, but I was much too upset to show anything else. I sobbed into my arms, sitting on the floor. 

I heard a door open and footsteps coming towards us. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. "There, there child." Came a much gentler tone than the mech who had brought me here. I looked up to see another elderly mech with....a beard? He carefully sat on the floor next to me and pulled me into his arms into an embrace. He turned his attention to the mech towering above us. "Now was that anyway to treat a child? Honestly you've terrified the poor thing Vector..." 

Vector snorted and rolled his optics dramatically. "I was told to bring her back here. Not coddle her." 

"Well excuse me if I thought you would know how to handle a child!" He snapped harshly back at him. He turned his attention back onto me. I was still weeping feebly in his hold. I felt him rub my back comfortingly. "Come on, it's alright. Up we go..." He whispered as he helped me stand. 

I shakily stood still terrified of what all was happening. I trembled under his arm as I leaned against him for support. He seemed to be so much taller than father. He began to gently lead me to a pair of big golden doors. I froze in my tracks. He squeezed my hand reassuringly. "It's alright. We'll explain everything to you." 

I looked up at him to look into a pair of grey blue optics. I nodded shakily and let him lead me inside. The giant doors swung open slowly as we approached it. I glanced behind me to see the mech who had brought me here, Vector if I remember right, following behind and muttering under his breath. I turned my helm back forwards to look at where we were going.   
As we stepped inside the vast room I got the chance to look around. We were now in a massive circular room with a large panel table at the end that curved with the room. Enormous pillars lined the outer edges of the room. On the massive head table I counted 13 chairs in all behind it. 

The sheer size of everything was intimidating as it is, but was not as nearly intimidating as the occupants of the room. Most of them stood as tall as father if not even larger. I had to crane my neck to look at everyone. The mech that lead me gently helped me to a chair in front of the massive table. 

I sat down, and he and Vector went to take their own seats. After they had however, I noticed that one seat was still vacant. The third one to the end on the left side, in fact it seemed like the seat had been vacant for some time. My optics observed the mechs behind the table that were seated. I found that the occupant of 3 chair left of the center one was indeed a femme. I shrank in my seat feeling intimidated and uncomfortable.

The mech in the center chair spoke. "Dawn, heir to the Matrix, eldest daughter to Optimus Prime and Elita One." He began. "Do you understand why you are here?" He asked in a stern and droning voice. 

I shook my helm. 

He suddenly turned to Vector. "You didn't tell her?!?" 

"She was throwing a tantrum!! How do you think I can talk to her while she's sitting on the floor crying?!"

The other mech that had guided me into the room stood up. "Well I wonder why she was crying! You were only shouting at her while she's already terrified!!"

"You were supposed to tell her!! We don't have enough time to explain!!" Another mech shouted across the table. 

"Time! Now that's an interesting subject!! Why don't we just waste more of it!!" 

An uproar was heard as a massive argument broke out from all across the table. Soon everything was unintelligible to my audios because most of them were speaking rapidly in a different language. I looked between everyone trying my best to decipher what could possibly be wrong that everyone was screaming about. I covered my audios as their volume only increased. 

Each of them were screaming at one another, I looked between the mechs and one femme. I saw that each of them were displaying the usual signs of anger, armor ruffled and puffed up to make them seem more imposing. I won't lie. I was scared. I shrunk in my seat slightly as I clenched my jaw hoping to block out all the shouting to no avail. 

My temper finally snapped as I stood and slammed my servo's onto the table. "That's ENOUGH!!" I shouted. To my surprise I felt a power surge through me, my very core exploding with pent up energy, my voice boomed out across the room the table under my palms cracking slightly from the force I had applied. I could feel my optics flare slightly brighter. 

The room quieted down immediately as their optics turned on me. Slightly shocked I looked at my hands, wondering how I had managed to crack the table with the power of my anger. I looked up at them and took a deep breath. 

"Will someone just please tell me what's going on?" I asked shakily as I slowly sat back down again. They each exchanged glances again, the mech that sat in the middle once again spoke. 

"We are the Council. Also known as the Thirteen. I am Prima. We've summoned you from the living world to warn you, Dawn." He explained, a grim look drawn on his face. "We don't really know what is happening ourselves. We're draining the rest of our power trying to warn you it's coming." He sighed. "It's blocked us off from the matrix, and well-"

"Primus is missing!" Another mech interrupted him shouting it out. 

I blinked up at him. "Excuse me??" 

Prima sighed pinching his 'nose' in a very Earth like gesture as he furrowed his optic ridges. It was quite obvious he was exhausted. They all were. "Our creator has disappeared. Primus is the only one that can fuel the matrix and interact with sparks. Without him, there cannot be any newsparks that are whole. Without him he can't keep the balance, soon Cybertronians will die out completely. Cybertron will never be reborn. If we don't find him soon, then the entire universe could be at stake! If Primus fails to fuel the Matrix with his knowledge and power..." Prima trailed off. 

I looked up at him in disbelief. "Well...what will happen if you can't find him?"   
Vector shook his helm. "Lots of things.... Time will unravel, the Matrix will die... ANd not to mention...." He too trailed off.

The femme in the room took over for him. "The unmaker himself will be unleashed without Primus's power to keep him in stasis.... life in the universe will perish." She finished for the two mechs.   
I tilted my helm in confusion. "Sooooo how does any of this has to do with me?" I asked slowly. 

"We really don't have time to explain all of this to her!! We need to give her the prophecy so she can pass it on to her father!!' The bearded mech exclaimed. 

"Patience Trion." The femme chided him. 

"No Solus! We've only got her for so much longer!!" He exclaimed making his way behind the others, passed the empty chair, and down the steps to stand in front of me.   
"Trion..." Vector warned wearily. "Don't you dare, you could overload her processor."   
I looked between them. "What are you going to do...?" I asked slightly scared. 

"Hold still." He answered. 

"Hold still for wh-" I was cut off as he touched my forehelm and a large burst of information streaked through my mind and storing itself in my memory circuit. I felt myself growing dizzy with the amount of information all at once. The names, the Prophecy. The Prophecy!! I could hear a voice in my audios, chanting ominously. It was ancient, eerily dry, and hollow, as if it's owner had been dead for several years. 

"Beware, demon hiding, your true colors shall be shown.   
"Beware, demon hiding, thy will make truth known.   
"For the rise of the new Prime shall bring forth a new age!  
"Beware of thou who attempts to rewrite the page.  
"Lost among the looking glass and past the silver lining.   
"No light in sight, though only one shall be shining.   
"He comes for thy ruling over brethern at last.   
"For no one shall know the truth of thy past.   
"Only once thy moons all be waning, the key shall reveal  
"Locked away, forever more, prison concealed.   
"Thy final lock, forever unseen,   
"Only needs thy locked with one final key.   
"He is the final prisoner of time,   
"He can only be locked away by the next Prime.   
"Once deed is done and he lay at rest whence time came  
"Thy's demons of war shall finally tame.   
"A final warning to the demon hiding, for he shows deception and lies.   
"Beware, demon hiding, for dawn's final rise."

 

These words echoed in my head as I felt myself sway, I vaguely felt myself hit the floor as everything went white and then completely back.


	13. Stirrings

3rd POV  
A mech hung suspended in shackles, his bounds cutting painfully into his wrists. His usual pristine and shiny armor chipped and scratched, and dirty. He weakly opened his optics his helm ach- 

His optics snapped open. His mind had finally caught up with him as he realized that he didn't know where or how he had gotten here. He looked down at himself realizing that he didn't even know what he really looked like at all! He looked down at himself seeing that his armor, well, he guessed it was supposed to be white and he thought he could see some goldish highlights. It was difficult to tell with hardly any light. With all the blue smears and the dirt and grime it looked more of a mismatch piece of artwork where the artist simply had gotten frustrated and smeared paint all over him. Only he really wished that is were paint and not..... what ever was coating him. A soft groan alerted the ancient mech that he indeed was not alone like he originally assumed. 

"Hello...?" He asked hesitantly. The soft rattle of chains was heard. He snapped his helm around to see the thick collar around his neck. Another raspy voice filled the room.   
"Try not to move so much. The chains will let him know we're awake...." He warned softly. This mech was supposedly white as well. Though it was a little difficult to tell with all of the smears staining his front. In the dark the other did see a few pieces of a royal purple. 

"Who- Who are you??" He asked in a shaky voice.   
"I don't know… I can’t remember my name or anything about myself, I was hoping that you knew..." The other mech said somberly. 

The Gold and White mech tilted his helm slightly to to left, a vague memory for a mere second. "You look familiar...." He said with a slight frown as he thought. "I can remember you...your're face...." 

"you do?" The White and Purple mech asked hopefully. 

"Yes... I've seen you before.... but-"   
The door suddenly slammed open. The mech didn't even know there was a door. A shadowed figure stood in the doorway before walking in very slowly. A raspy and croaking voice crept over them. It washed through the entire confining room, like a cloud of smoke or a rolling wall of fog. He walked slowly, as if he carried something on his back. His footsteps were hollow and loud. They echoed eerily, as their owner approached the two that dangled just above the floor.   
"Well it looks like you're you two have finally awoken," He croaked.   
Both of them grimaced. His breath was dry and smelt of decay, it was like he had been deceased for many vorns now, the stench filled the room along with his freezing cold presence extending outwards to meet each mech. They shivered simultaneously  
.   
"Who are you??" The golden mech demanded to know. 

The mysterious mech sneered, chuckling quietly. "Oh wouldn't you like to know," he gave the two of them a disgusted look as he paced around them. As he walked his long cloak dragged along the ground behind him. He stopped in front of the golden mech, his hood covered most of his face. His optics, however shone such a dark color that it was difficult to distinguish them from the shadow cast across his face. 

“Finally… you will know. All of the pain you caused me… know you will be the ones that are forgotten,” He chuckled darkly as his breath hit the dangling mech like a freight train. It smelled of rot and felt far too hot. He could hear the soft rasps of him breathing. He choked on the smell and the feeling of his breath.

"Who are you." He growled at him turning his face away from the awful smell. 

He smirked lowering his hood to reveal his twisted and scarred face, his optics an unnatural jet black along with his armor. "Oh my sweet older brother. I'm shocked that my little trick has done so well after all these eons. But allow me to introduce myself." He sneered his crusty and scarred lips turning themselves into a smirk. "My name is Void. I'm your worst possible nightmare."


	14. Reflecting

(Orion's POV)

I paced back and forth across the floor. My mind was racing and it hadn't stopped ever since Dawn saved me. If only I had gone back.... If only I didn't listen and maybe I could have saved her.... Where ever she is, it's my fault. 

Flashback: The day of the attack; After Dawn's Capture

::Get everyone to safety! Don't worry about me!:: I hear over the comm. 

::B-But-::  
::No buts!! Go! Run!:: She cried out to me desperately. I bit my lip and turned, tears bubbling in my optics. I have never been so scared in my life. I ran. I ran like my life depended on it and it probably did. I slammed my palm onto the security reader and ran inside. I was so numb. So utterly petrified of all of the chaos. 

Swoop and Bluestreak have already escorted everyone to the bunker. I stumble in and lower the blast doors. Blue stands and quickly walks over to me. "Orion! I'm so glad you're safe. Do you know how worried we were??" He sighed. 

Haven stares coldly at me. "Orion where's Dawn." He asked. Though by his tone he wasn't exactly asking.

I looked down in shame. I don't answer him for a while.   
He marches over and grabs the front of my armor and lifts me a few inches off the ground.  
"Where. Is. Dawn." He asked, his optics burning into mine. My tank churns as the answer gets stuck in my throat. He shakes me with force. "Answer me!" He barked.

"They took her...." I choked out. "I couldn't do anything ab-"

"-Like the pit you couldn't!!!! You're always boasting about how you're going to be just like your dad!! Optimus wouldn't have left her!! You let her get captured!! She's been nothing but nice to you!!! YOu COULD HAVE DONE MORE!!"

"That is enough!" Blue snapped at him. 

Haven stared at him for a while before dropping me on my feet. I fell to the floor on my knees. He glared at me with seething hatred. "Yes sir." He ground out before sitting against the wall.   
I crawled over to my own corner. His words ringing through my processor. He was right.

(End Flashback)  
I can't help but reflect on everything after that. Adults must be sickened by me. I do boast. All of the time. I boast about how I'm going to be just like my father, and how I'm going to be the Prime that ends the Great Cybertronian War. How I'd lead my people to the ultimate victory, how I'd slaughter Scorpio without hesitation. How I would take down any filthy con that stood in my way... 

After the battle I had talked to Ratchet while he was treating the burns I had gotten. He told me that this was one of the tamer battles compared to all of them. He told me that only 4 casualities, 2 critical patients and they were recovering quickly, 23 injured total, and 1 captured. He had said that we were lucky that most of the damage was cosmetic and would be rebuilt with time.   
And Dawn... I don't deserve to have her. She saved my life, and I fail to get help for her in time. Swoop had searched for her high and low, after I told of her capture. She was nowhere to be found. 

I'm a pathetic excuse. For a brother, for an heir, for a friend. 

Soundwave's POV

I hung from ceiling of my cell. Energon stained the floor. All of my tentacles were tightly suspended, and Laserbeak was bound. My visor was chipped and cracked severely from all of the torture sessions. It was hard to ventilate in the suffocating room. The door slid open once again. I gave a wry smile to myself. 

They were so frustrated with me it was comical. One would call it comical relief.   
Scorpio bared his whip at me. I rolled my optics to myself. He never did learn that whippings are something I'm far too use to for an ex-gladiator of Kaon. 

"The Iacon relics Soundwave, where are they." He snarled at him. His sickly optics blazed in fury. 

I simply replayed his obnoxious demand with a high pitched overtone. Humans call it helium I believe. He predictably snarled in outrage and delivered 10 lashes to my back. I ground my denta not giving him the satisfaction of hearing my pain. 

(Dawn's POV) 

My audios were ringing fiercely. Slowly everything was coming into focus. I could hear my name being called after a little while. I looked up at the faces above me. Many of them were quite aways away. I groaned as I began to remember. A strange feeling in my head left me slightly dizzy. 

'Dawn.. deliver the message. You must. You are our last hope….”

"Trion??" I call out. 'Trion wait!!" 

'Dawn you are fading to the waking world.." his voice grew fainter and fainter, 'we will talk again soon...please...hurry..." the voice echoes deeply in my head as everything goes dark. Moments later I feel myself waking up again. Only this time pain takes my body in harsh waves. 

??? POV

I sit a little ways away from the latest addition to our cell. I've patched up as many wounds as i could and as best as I could. I look back at her worriedly. She seems stable enough for the time being but there is no was of knowing if she will wake up or not. I sighed. Hook walked over slowly and sat next to him. "Hey," he greeted softly. 

I made a tired noise of acknowledgment. 

"You really should rest...' he frowned. I felt him touch my back in some form of comforting gesture. The truth was I didn't think that I could ever really 'rest' again. Not if the rest of my life looked like this. "I can't," I replied. "She might wake up." 

I was referring to our younger, unknown acquaintance. She was breathing by herself, and she has basic functions and reflexes according to the exam I gave her.

I know she must be in pain, at least, when she comes out of her coma she will be. I have no idea when that will be but she is recovering. I looked back over at her laying on the bench against the wall. As I watched her I noticed something. Her facial expression had changed. I looked closer and suddenly she moved her helm to the side and a faint groan sounds from her lips. I stand and rush over to her and quickly conduct as much of an exam as I can. Her optics are brighter and her field is active. I smiled for the first time in a very, very long time. 

She's alive.


End file.
